Luke 17:1-6
1 He said to his disciples, "Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur.
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
3 Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4 And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,' you should forgive him."
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
6 The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
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As a father, verses 1-6 give me a lot to think about. How well am I acting as the spiritual leader of my family? How many sins do my children commit that I just let go, because I don't want to take the time to correct the behavior, or because I want to let my wife handle it?
How long do I allow them to remain in sin? Do I take them to confession or wait until the CCD class goes? Do I even know when that is going to be?
What about missing mass? Do I allow that to happen? The church teaches that missing mass -- ie, a violation of the third commandment (Make holy the Lord's Day) -- is a grave matter, and willingly missing a mass constitutes mortal sin. No exceptions for soccer games, football games, basketball games, dance recitals, or sleepovers.
Do I allow that to happen? If yes -- do I take the family to confession?
According to Christ's teaching, if I lead my children into sin, I would be better off if I put on a pair of cement shoes and jumped into a river. Something to think about.
